ArcaMax

We have been told, for decades now, that dead children are the price of freedom. School shootings are tragic, yes, but unavoidable. The Second Amendment is sacred, and any attempt to regulate guns is tyranny.

So when a man was shot and killed in Minnesota while legally carrying a firearm, not threatening anyone, not firing, not even holding it,...Read more

Dear Readers,

This time of year, my inbox fills with the same quiet sentence written a hundred different ways: "I'm tired of being the reasonable one."

It comes from the woman hosting Sunday dinner who gets criticized no matter what she serves. The man who keeps lending money to a sibling who never pays it back. The adult child who answers ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Six years ago, at my 40th high school reunion, a few former classmates asked me about my old high school sweetheart. (We broke up after high school.) I decided to find her and located her on Facebook. To my surprise, she never married. I told her I am married. We became friends again, but from 3,000 miles away.

For a few years, it ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a wife and mom, and I work full-time, which means my days are busy from the moment I wake up until I close my eyes at night. With getting my kids ready in the morning, working all day, handling dinner, helping with homework and household responsibilities, it feels like every minute of my life belongs to someone else. For 2026...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Over the years, I have noticed that at most live performances -- from professional concerts and operas to dance recitals and school plays -- the audience automatically gives a standing ovation at the end.

I grew up believing that a standing ovation was an expression of appreciation for a truly extraordinary performance -- a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a senior citizen. Fifty years ago, another young girl and I were in a juvenile detention facility for very minor infractions that would not lead to incarceration today. I was repeatedly raped by two counselors throughout our months there. This other girl was not mistreated in any way because she was related to the spouse of one...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My wife of seven years secretly visits her ex-husband on multiple occasions. She visits him with and without his spouse present. However, she forbids me from speaking to or visiting any woman from my past unless she is present.

My wife suffers from major depression. She's on medication but refuses to see a counselor. Her family has ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: About a year ago, I met a man at work, and he introduced himself to me by telling me how beautiful I am and how much he admires me. In less than a month, I was his girlfriend. We are still together, but I have been hearing more and more rumors claiming that he said the same things to many of the women we work with. I never picked...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a single man who inherited, from my parents and grandparents, both a love of entertaining and also a great deal of the trappings needed -- china, crystal, linen, silver -- that other relatives didn't want. I have everything from fish knives and bouillon cups to strawberry forks and salt spoons. I don't use them all often,...Read more

Dear Annie: I never imagined I would be writing to you about this, but I'm at a loss and worried sick.

One of my adult sons has become deeply involved in far-right political activism. What began as strong opinions has hardened into something extreme and all-consuming. His social media is a nonstop stream of posts about the latest ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 38-year-old woman with a 21-year-old daughter, "Penny." I got pregnant at 16 and was very much alone, with little help from those around me. For a variety of reasons, I decided not to involve the father or his family. They knew I was pregnant but chose to remain uninvolved and haven't helped in any way. I worked hard to build a...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Recently, my daughter asked me to tell her more about my early life. Over the years, I've made a point not to talk much about it, but now that she's older and asking, I think it's OK to share. When she asked me, I started off by explaining that I've never told her about my past because I didn't have a happy childhood. The words ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Strangers want to make small talk with me while waiting in grocery checkout lines, at bus stops, at the bank, during flights, etc. I do not want to make friends with strangers every time I step outside my house.

When this happens, I can't bring myself to tell these people, "I'm sorry, but I don't really want to talk," because...Read more

Dear Annie: I've always been someone who struggles between my head and my heart. I see things that I want so badly and my heart aches for them, but I know better when those things don't mesh well with my life. Like denying my favorite piece of chocolate cake because it's bad for my diet.

Normally, this is one of my best traits. I was very ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are raising our 7-month-old daughter together, and we generally get along well. I love him very much, but he has a habit that worries me. He's constantly on the lookout for a new job. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but every couple of months he says he's bored and wants to work somewhere else. These are decent-...Read more